Efficient Upcycled Duplex in Portland

Hammer & Hand, a design-build firm based in Portland, is getting well-deserved attention for transforming this circa 1905, dilapidated eyesore into an energy-efficient duplex that uses less than $100 per month in energy. With the help of Scott Edwards Architecture, the team expanded tiny spaces and transformed the lower level to facilitate aging in place.

The Woodhole Duplex is also referred to as the Upcycled Duplex because it’s an example of using existing housing stock to repurpose neighborhoods for the future in a way that supports less driving, less energy consumption, and a smaller ecological footprint.

The existing home had a failing facade and energy-wasting walls, not to mention cramped rooms, dated kitchens and baths, and an inefficient heating system.

Hammer & Hand – the company responsible for this Super-Efficient ADU and Musician’s Dwelling – enlarged some spaces, remodeled the kitchens and baths, applied advanced framing and high-quality insulation, and installed an on-demand hot water heater to supply domestic hot water and heat to each home.

Upcycled Duplex will be on the Build It Green! Home Tour presented by the City of Portland, which is scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday, September 24, 2011, from 11 am to 5 pm. You can find more detail about the tour here.